Tag Archives: UFO Interactive

I have very fond memories of playing old LCD games as a child. Whether it was a Game & Watch game or something like the copy of 1943 I had and played until the plastic wore out. There was a certain charm that those games had and I loved the challenge of them, even though they were pretty basic and you did the same thing every time you played them. I had a huge collection of them and still keep on the lookout today for good ones to add to my collection. Anytime McDonald’s has them in their kids meals I play them to see what they’re like (not great). There are people out there still trying to bring those old memories and the charm of the LCD game to life.

UFO Interactive is one such company that has recently released a number of LCD style games through their Retro Pocket lineup. On iOS they’re broken up into individual games that can be purchased for .99¢. I tried out a few of them to see how they were. Three games in particular were Candy Factory, Kung Fu and Fireman.

If there is one thing the world needs more of it’s Game & Watch style games. They’ve fallen out of favor since they were first released back in the 1980s as technology has improved, but I still think they’re incredibly fun. I’ve always thought there was something mildly addictive about the simple gameplay combined with the crude “animations” and the bleep/bloop sounds. They all combine into something that reminds me of those games as a child. I had a pretty extensive collection of single screen LCD games and still enjoy playing them for a few minutes every now and then.

UFO Interactive has been pretty busy on the eShop over the last few months with three different titles now available for purchase. They’re latest, Johnny Kung Fu, brings the Game & Watch, single-screen LCD game back and updates it a little bit.

What You Need to Know

Johnny Kung Fu (I accidently typed Johnny Kung Fun twice while writing this) is a single screen brawler. You play as Johnny, a blond haired kid who’s girlfriend has been kidnapped by The Wang Gang, led by the mysterious Mr. Wang. Johnny’s got one hour of real time to save her. To do so you go through 32 levels of the Unethical Financial Operations building. Each level is made up of a single screen that requires you to complete a specific task to move on. Sandwiched in those levels are “Game & Watchy” mini-games . If you lose all of your lives you can continue from the same point, but it will cost you five minutes of your time.

Chuck E. Cheese is a dream world for kids. A place where you can eat pizza, play video games and win silly little toys. I can remember going there as a kid when it was Showbiz Pizza. Is there any kid on the planet that wouldn’t want to take the fun and excitement of Chuck E. Cheese with them wherever they go? UFO Interactive managed to obtain the license to the popular food chain and slap it on a game featuring a number of activities you’d find at the restaurant. Unfortunately what resulted is a mess of boring mini-games that you won’t really have reasons to play more than once.

What You Need to Know

Chuck E. Cheese’s Arcade Room is a collection of five mini-games based on popular games you’d see at any modern arcade. You’ll get to try your hand at a basketball shootout, whack-a-mole style game, skee ball, a shooting gallery and a racing arcade game. The more points you score in those games earns you more tickets that you can use to unlock virtual prizes in the game’s prize room. There are even challenges based on the five mini-games that will test your “skill” at playing them all. Continue reading Chuck E. Cheese’s Arcade Room Review (DSiWare)→

UFO Interactive has sent along a new trailer for their upcoming eShop game, Johnny Kung Fu. This shows off even more of the game play and the mix of the modern visuals and the older Game & Watch style games. I’m really interested in this one.

Rhythm games come in a number of shapes and sizes, especially on a Nintendo handheld. You can solve people’s problems through the power of music. You can pretend you’re banging on giant Asian drums. You can sing along with pop singers named after states, or find yourself in a musical heaven. I haven’t seen a rhythm game that also has you saving the world from a zombie apocalypse before. UFO Interactive thought that was a huge gap in people’s gaming library and stepped in to fill that hole with Zombie Slayer Diox. By the way, the (X) is silent.

What You Need to Know

Zombie Slayer Diox is a side scrolling rhythm action game. You play as Diox, who is roaming the earth trying to rid the world of zombies. Your enemies come on from the right side of the screen with a directional arrow over their heads and you have to swipe the stylus on the touch screen in the appropriate direction to kill them. There are 12 tracks available in the game, playable both in the story mode and the Free Play mode. Along with that there are dozens of achievements to earn.

Zombie Slayer Diox hits the 3DS eShop on March 22nd. UFO Interactive wants everyone to be ready for that release and listen to the music ahead of time. They’re making the soundtrack available for free to anyone that wants it. Just head over HERE and download the entire soundtrack, or just listen to it if you prefer. If you click on the links on the page you’ll be directed to the Youtube videos for the songs. There is a button under the four tracks to download them all. I think it’s pretty good. The first four songs are currently available with the last eight set to come soon. Here’s a little sample of the soundtrack for you.

UFO Interactive currently has one game on the eShop right now in Samurai: Sword of Destiny. They’ve got Zombie Slayer Diox coming this next week and today they’ve announced Johnny Kung Fu. This game looks pretty darn fun. There are some elements of old LCD games like the Game & Watch franchise, some side scrolling brawler action, cliched voice acting and a blond kung fu master. No official release date as of yet, but the trailer says it’s coming “soon”.